I heard about this today on Sean Hannity's show, but left the car (and, therefore, the radio) before I heard any real details. Wizbang! sends me over to the Burlington Free Press, which has the full story:
A Williston man who admitted repeatedly sexually assaulting a young girl for four years was sentenced Wednesday to spend 60 days in prison -- a punishment that angered the victim's family but was defended by the judge as the only way to provide counseling for the perpetrator.
"Counseling for the perpetrator"?! Screw him, it's that poor child he raped who needs counseling! It boggles my mind that anyone in the legal system should have more empathy and concern for the criminal, rather than for the victim. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for this kind of criminal behavior: when convicted beyond reasonable doubt by a jury (and especially after admitting guilt), this cretin should have been incarcerated immediately!
Hulett began sexually abusing the girl -- a friend's daughter -- when she was 6, and the conduct continued until the girl turned 10 in April, according to court papers and testimony Wednesday from the girl's relatives. [emph. mine]
Frankly, this man ought to have been given at least the eight years the prosecutor was aiming for, and preferably the life sentence he was facing. When the judge only gave this 60-day sentence, he spit in the face of the legal system, justice, and the victim and her family. Judge Edward Cashman ought to be removed from the bench, disbarred, and drawn and quartered!
Prosecutors wanted Hulett incarcerated for at least eight years, and in impassioned pleas the girl's family members asked for a stern sentence. Cashman, though, told the crowded courtroom that punishment was not his priority in sentencing Hulett, but rather finding treatment for the man to prevent future abuse.
"This is not a situation where I'm doing this for the family," he said. "My heart goes out to this family, and I would hate to be in the situation this family is. But there's other families out there, and there's other people who could be victimized, and I'm trying to take the long view."
Later, Cashman added that a lengthy prison term "will accomplish nothing but to harden this fellow."
"Harden the fellow"? Hel-LO? Reality check, here: if this piece of shit masquerading as a human was already raping a SIX YEAR OLD, how much more hardened could he possibly get? Throw him in the deepest, darkest pit of the jail, lock the door, and throw away the key!
Prosecutor Nicole Andreson said punishment is a valid component of a sentence.
"This is not only about Mr. Hulett," Andreson said in arguing for an eight-year minimum. "To sentence him to any less demeans the level of trauma he has caused. To sentence him to any less will send a disturbing message of tolerance to the community."
Cashman disagreed, saying retribution "accomplishes nothing of value."
"We feed on anger," the judge said. "That's not my job. I've got to do something that solves problems. The one message I want to get through is, anger doesn't solve anything."
Anger doesn't solve anything? Oh, yes, it bloody well does! Righteous anger drives us to correct wrongs, to overthrow tyrants, to fight for freedom, to protect the helpless, and to stand up for what is right! Righteous anger gave this country independence. Righteous anger abolished slavery. Righteous anger conquered Hitler. Righteous anger brought equal civil liberties.
Righteous anger ought to put this criminal away for the rest of his life, and ought to offer full support and restitution to this little girl and her family.
Hulett spoke briefly at the end of the hearing, crying as he apologized for his actions.
"I want to get treatment. I need it," he said before officers led him from the courtroom to begin his prison term.
Oh, boo-fucking-hoo-hoo. The only treatment you need, buster, is someone to slap you upside the head every 15 minutes (every 5 minutes on Sundays) and tell you what a low-down, dirty, worthless, rotten, scum-sucking, heartless, depraved, revolting, accursed, monstrous, villainous, loathsome, disgusting, vile piece of trash you are. And that's insulting to trash.
God may forgive you - but I sure as hell wouldn't!
UPDATE and BUMP: From WCAX, in Burlington, VT comes more information about the local reaction to this ... "judge's" ruling:
"We were actually talking about it at work this morning. It just does not fee as if justice was done. Seems like a really serious crime with a pretty small consequence," said Joan Robinson of Burlington.
"I was dismayed to see that someone who had committed such a serious crime against a young child would be given less of a prison sentence than for instance someone who got a second-term DWI," said Paul Poss of South Burlington.
"It just seems really sad to me that was the judge's decision. And I hope that other judges look at that decision and see it as the wrong decision,"explained Robyn MaGuire of Winooski.
It's absolutely amazing based on what's going on in the United States with sex offenders, registry, non-registry, and so forth, that somebody could get a 60-day sentence and get off that easily. It just seems impossible to me that a 60-day sentence is logical," said Bill Polk of Panton. [emph. mine]
Oh, and here's a particularly lovely quote from the article:
...several defense lawyers told Channel 3 the judge's decision was "fair", "brilliant" and "beautifully reasoned."
As several of my commenters have already suggested: Rope, tree, "judge" - some assembly required. Shall we also add "several defense lawyers"?
(Crossposted at the Wide Awakes, And Rightly So!, Kender's Musings, and Third World County)
(Linked at TMH's Bacon Bits and the Mudville Gazette)
And, I've been terribly remiss in not publically thanking Emperor Misha I for His gracious endorsement of this rant. He said it was a "righteous rant" and "required reading." I'm honored and greatful!
